Tuggeranong Arts Centre, Woden Arts and visual artist Emma Rani Hodges invite the community to be part of the making of a large-scale art installation, as part of the National Folk Festival and TAC’s gallery program:

Hodges describes their vision for the project, the making process, and the opportunity for connection through creativity as follows:

‘Stories hold these souls together for longer than earth will keep the vessel of my body’ is an artwork made with love; love of diverse kinds and love that is tangible. Craft and art circles are a community action that transcends time and culture. They’ve continuously brought people together to share stories, give warnings, find common interests, and take care of each other. The accumulation of these actions is what builds community.’

The creation of this artwork will take place over multiple weeks on the traditional lands of the Ngunnawal, Ngunawal and Ngambri peoples. It is an invitation to create and deepen connections. Anybody is welcome to participate.

The vision is to create a meeting place under the shelter of 23 trees in Central Park, EPIC, during the National Folk Festival. Within this space, Ngunnawal Elders and Folk Elders will host a yarning circle and human library experience.

The space we’ll create together will be composed of fabric, twine, wool and thread which has been donated by the Canberra community. It is up to us as a collective to find a direction, to create banners, pompoms, woven segments; and to do this while sharing stories. Participants will be able to explore methods of embedding their stories within the fabric we’ve been given and together we’ll create a visual archive of our lived experiences.

You may attend one or more of the following free workshops at Tuggeranong Arts Centre. Participants can spend an hour with us or stay as long as they like.

Who should attend?

The artist encourages intergenerational participation. We invite participants to bring a friend or family member along to share in the making of the work and be a part of generational storytelling. Or make a new friend at the workshop and share stories!

Feel free to bring a picnic to enjoy on the grass by Lake Tuggeranong, in the Arts Centre’s outdoor area. Tea and coffee will be available. Please wear comfortable, sun-safe clothes and shoes suitable for working outside. TAC encourages registrations but welcomes walk-in attendance at all workshops.